Tuesday, June 16, 2009
I'd like to say I was stranded on a Remote Tropical Island...
I can hear you now…she’s still alive! I know, I know. I’ve not blogged for the past two months. I’d like to say I was off on some remote tropical Island without computer access, but if I said so I’d be lying. Although, I must admit, living on a remote tropical Island does sound like a lovely past time. I’m afraid my blog got put on the back burner between life unfolding and me becoming a member of facebook. Yeah, I caved in and joined Facebook. Never thought I would see the day. Actually, I was required to do so for work – I guess I could have declined, but come on – my workplace is stepping into the 21st century and I decide to hold out? Not a good idea. After joining facebook, I realized it’s actually fun and a great way to keep up with friends and relatives. Who would have thunk I’d be saying that. Don’t get me wrong – I still love face to face time – prefer it actually.I’ve also been on another little journey – online dating. I’d say it definitely has its advantages and disadvantages, but overall, I’m glad I’m giving it a try. I’ve come away with plenty of funny stories which I will refrain from telling on here out of respect for those involved in the stories. It’s best to keep that as unpublished work for now, I think. If you’d like to hear more about it, give me a call. Otherwise, just know that it’s been a great learning experience. The journey has brought on many emotions. It’s been humorous, disheartening, nerve wracking, flattering, encouraging, uncomfortable, and even fun. I decided to join the online dating scene for a few reasons:
- I figured it would be a great learning experience. It is and has been!
- It’s the 21st century and I really think it’s a good idea to experience this common way of finding a mate. In a 2006-2007 poll of 10,000 married couples, 18% of them (age 20-44) met online. And the percentage was even higher for those in the 45-54 age bracket at 31%. Keep in mind, those statistics are a couple years old – so who knows what the percentage is by now? I’m guessing even higher as online dating has become even more common.
- I figure I’m going to give God every opportunity to introduce me to my future husband. Silly as it may seem, online dating could very well be the venue He chooses. Time will tell. If not, I will not regret a minute of it because it’s been such a great learning experience. What I have learned and the growth that has taken place in me through this experience will not be wasted.
So if you’re single, praying for a mate, and keeping an eye out for opportunities – give online dating a try. You just might like it, and who knows what might happen as a result? Just a side note, I’ve only tried e-harmony but I highly recommend it. I have a friend who is on Match.com, and we both agree that e-harmony does a much better job of matching you with compatible members. Plus you can choose to go through guided communication before talking about anything and everything with your match. You can learn a whole lot in those first four steps of guided communication, so it helps weed out people you know you’re not interested in pursuing up front. e-harmony is a little more costly than Match.com, but I think you get what you pay for. But be forewarned, it can be rather time consuming!
In other news, I’ve turned a year older and maybe a year wiser? I’m now 27 years old. It’s hard to believe, really. Thirty is encroaching more quickly than I’d like, but I might as well embrace it because it’s coming. Yeah, yeah, I know. I’ve got three more years. You’re right. I’m going to embrace today and enjoy it. That’s all I’m guaranteed anyway. Besides, 30 isn’t as old as I used to view it as a child. Funny how that changes the older you get. My birthday celebration was very nice even though I was sick with a staph infection. Several of my girlfriends came over that evening and celebrated with me. A few of my co-workers stopped by during the day and brought plenty of birthday wishes from my co-workers. I also got to talk with all of my family. I felt loved.
The majority of my time in recent weeks has been spent loving on my adorable three nephews and enjoying my siblings. I love having my sister close by and am trying to take advantage of that as often as possible. I know it won’t always be this way…but I’m not going to think about that right now.
If you’re looking for a good book to read, I’d highly recommend Mark Batterson’s Wild Goose Chase. I’ve got two chapters left before I finish the book, and it’s been a great read so far. It’s all about how chasing the Wild Goose (the Holy Spirit) is an adventure and addresses the cages we tend to allow ourselves to stay in. i.e. the cages of responsibility, routine, assumptions, guilt, failure, fear, and the future. He addresses each of these cages and shares why it’s so important to break free of them in order to follow the Holy Spirit on the great adventure life is meant to be as a Christ follower. He uses very pertinent Biblical examples and weaves them into what that looks like via modern day examples (mostly from his own experiences). It’s eye opening, challenging, and well worth your time to sit down and read it!
And with that, I’ll sign off for now. Perhaps it won’t be two months before I post next time. Here’s hoping!
Jamie at 7:01 PM
